1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toaster for toasting a slice of bread.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a so-called pop-up toaster has a roasting chamber with a slot on its upper surface and heats a sliced bread inserted from the slot with a pair of heaters. Among such pop-up toasters, a certain type of toaster is available in which a pattern plate in the shape of animal, flower or the like is fixed to a heater guard on a heater, so that a sliced bread can be toasted with the pattern on the surface thereof.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the structure in which a conventional pattern plate is attached. FIG. 1 is a front view and FIG. 2 is a side view. A pattern hole 2 is punched by pressing in a pattern plate 1 made of a metal thin plate, so that a sliced bread can be browned with a pattern by heat from a heater. A heater guard 3 is made of a wire and provided perpendicularly along the heater. Pattern plate 1 is attached to that side of heater guard 3 which faces the sliced bread and secured thereto by fixing a holding portion 4 to heater guard 3.
In the conventional toaster, however, heater guard 3 and pattern plate 1 are almost flush where heater guard 3 passes pattern hole 2. As a result, the pattern on the toasted sliced bread may disadvantageously include an undesired line caused by a shadow of heater guard 3, thereby marring a desired pattern.
In addition, as pattern plate 1 is retained by fixing holding portion 4 to heater guard 3, fixing of holding portion 4 may become loose due to heat expansion by heat from the heater, vibration and sliding when the sliced bread is inserted or removed. In such case, the mounted position of pattern plate 1 may be displaced, causing mispositioning of the pattern on the sliced bread.
Moreover, pattern plate 1 protrudes toward the side of the sliced bread by its thickness as it is attached to that side of heater guard 3 which faces the sliced bread. Thus, the sliced bread may be caught by the upper end of the pattern plate 1 as it is inserted into a roasting chamber, preventing smooth insertion of the sliced bread.